Rail joint



March 2, 1943. A. E. HILL RAIL JOINT Filed Nov. 7, 1959 Patented Mar. 2, 1943 OFICE This invention relates to rails and more specifically to improved rail joints.

As is generally known, railway rails become battered and worn away at adjacent ends thereof and particularly at the under faces of the balls intermediate the ends of the splice bars by continual movement of rolling stock thereover.

When the rails become thus worn, vibrations are imparted to the rolling stock with attendant discomfort and annoyance to persons carried thereby and the rebound of the rolling stock accentuates the wearing away of the rails at such points. In fact, badly worn rail ends may even cause accidents upon movement of rolling stock thereover.

It has heretofore been proposed to remedy this condition by restoring such worn rail ends and the methods practiced for such restoration included the pressing of a recess into one side face of the ball of each rail end, the recess opening through the rail end and extending a substantial distance therefrom. This method consisted in closing pf the fishing height of the rails directly against new splice bars and in an attempt to keep the gauge sides of the rails straight and indent or recess the opposite side. This method however, failed to successfully restore the worn rail ball ends due to the fact that in heating the rail ends to indent same and force the lower faces of the balls into contact with the splice bars, the heated rail balls later shrunk with the result that the splice bars and rail end balls were not in bearing contact. Furthermore, it was found that the gauge sides of the rails were inwardly deformed thus impairing the gauge sides of the rails.

In any attempt to restore the fishing height of worn rail ends it is highly important that the rail ends be not so deformed as to unfit either side for the gauge sides of the rails for the reason that rails, particularly the outer rails on curves are often reversed when the gauge sides become wor and accordingly the opposite sides should be in such condition as to accurately replace such gauge sides.

However, if indentations or recesses be provided in the sides of the rail end balls of substantial width and opening out through the ends of the rails, the gauge properties of the rails are seriously affected.

Furthermore, the extreme ends of the rail balls should be left intact in order to avoid disturbing the fibre or grain of the metal to avoid any possibility of rail ball splitting along the line of the swaged. indentations.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved rail joint whereby the fishing height in Worn rail ends is restored and whereby the disadvantages inherent in previous reconstruction methods as above referred to are overcome without the necessity of indenting the worn rail ends.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rail joint whereby the load stresses are removed from the extreme rail ends with the result that the load resisting strength of the splice bars is increased and the danger of splitting the rail webs and breaking out pieces of the ball ends is avoided.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rail joint whereby the load stress areas are disposed at distances remote from the ends of the rails.

The more specific advantages and objects will become apparent from a consideration of the description following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating my improved rail joint.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a broken side elevational view showing the adjacent ends of a pair of rails and a cooperating splice bar disclosing the application of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends disclosing the application of my invention in the restoration of the fishing heights in worn rail ends.

As indicated in the drawing, my invention consists in the application of a plate 19 to the under surface of the ball B of each rail R adjacent the ends of adjacent rails and at each side of the webs W. These plates are as shown, preferably spot welded at 20 to the under surfaces of the rail balls to make a closing of the fishing height which has become impaired in worn rail ends These plates may be of such length and thickness as to effectively close the fishing height under any given condition of repair of battered rail ends.

While the spot welding of these plates to the rail balls to close the fishing height would not take care of batter on the treads of rail ends, nevertheless, this could be done by metal welding (building up) of the rail ends by welding equipment now in use and which could be transported on small hand push cars.

When the plates I9 are spot welded to the rail balls they become a part thereof and cannot come loose or be displaced. These plates may be made of various thicknesses and the proper thickness used to suit any particular demand.

Joints in highway crossings and tunnels receive more wear in the fishing surfaces than elsewhere, and in such instances, thicker plates may be used and thus a uniform result would be had without change in tool equipment.

In Figure 1 the reference character a designates relatively short non-contacting areas between the upper edges of the splice bars S and the lower faces of the rail balls while the load stress sections on the splice bars are designated at b, or those portions of the splice bars directly beneath the plates l9.

In present or normal rails with associated splice bars the greatest load stress point is on the end fibre of the rail web. Thus it will be seen that by providing a small zone of metal on the endsof the rail webs between the extreme ends and the beginning of the stress sections 1), the load bearing strength of the splice bars is substantially increased and the danger of splitting the webs and breaking out pieces of the ends of the balls by progressive fractures starting in the ends of the Webs, is substantially completely avoided.

While my present invention is more or less specifically disclosed, it is to be understood, however, that certain changes may be made as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

In a rail joint comprising adjacent rail ends, splice bars lapping the rail ends, and rectangular plates secured adjacent their inner and outer edges to the under faces of the rail balls in spaced relation to the ends of the rails for engagement with the upper edges of the splice bars and with the under faces of the balls ALBERT E. HILL. 

